Insect inhibitory proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are known in the art. These proteins are used to control agriculturally relevant pests of crop plants by spraying formulations containing these proteins onto plants/seeds or by expressing these proteins in plants and in seeds.
Only a few Bt proteins have been developed for use in formulations or as transgenic traits for commercial use by farmers to control Coleopteran and Lepidopteran pest species, and no Bt proteins have been used for commercial control of Hemipteran pest species. Certain Hemipteran species, particularly Lygus bugs, are pests of cotton and alfalfa, and typically are only controlled using broad spectrum chemistries, e.g., endosulfan, acephate, and oxamyl, which can persist and harm the environment. However, dependence on a limited number of these Bt proteins can result in occurrence of new pests resistant to these proteins, and reliance on broad-spectrum chemistries can harm the environment.
Hence, there is a continuous need for the discovery and commercial development of new proteins active against pests of crop plants.